Amazon WorkingWell Program Offers Workers Meditation And Wellness Zones

Amazon, the company repeatedly in the news over reports that some employees have resorted to peeing in bottles, is countering the negative publicity with the announcement of a new wellness program called WorkingWell. The program aims to reduce workplace injuries and help employees engage in self-care via things like mindfulness meditation kiosks and 'wellness zones.'

The WorkingWell program was announced on Monday, with Amazon stating that it will introduce the opportunity to employees across the US; all of its facilities will have access to it by the end of the year. The program is designed to help employees 'recharge and reenergize,' according to Amazon.

The ultimate goal behind the program is to reduce work injury risk, with the company noting that around 40-percent of the work-related injuries experienced by Amazon employees are musculoskeletal in nature, such as sprained joints or strain resulting from repetitive motion. During the WorkingWell pilot program, Amazon says these types of injuries were reduced by 32-percent.

The program comes with a number of activities and options, including establishing 'wellness zones' where employees will be able to stretch and let their muscles recover. The program also includes EatWell, which involves increasing the number of healthier snack options available to workers in breakrooms and signs alerting employees to what constitutes a healthy snack.

Beyond that, the program also includes 'AmaZen,' which are interactive kiosks where employees can watch short videos offering things like positive affirmations, guided meditations, and calming scenes with sound. Workstations will provide hourly prompts that are designed to guide workers through mental and physical activities, such as breathing and stretching exercises.

Of course, the new program comes amid increasing controversy over Amazon's warehouse practices, including what Reveal called 'a mounting injury crisis.' In recent days, the company has faced backlash over a mailbox installed at the site where Alabama workers voted on whether to unionize.